"Are you kids excited?!" Desiree excitedly questioned Zephyr and Alex, whose fingers were intertwined as they approached her.
"Yeah", Alex enthusiastically nodded her head.
"Of course", Zephyr proudly answered, a broad grin plastered on his face, "It took me a while to plan things, but I'm certain that this will be the best Valentine".
"That's a bold claim to make", Desiree remarked, totally immersing herself and paying as much attention as possible to the couple.
"That's what I told him", Alex added, "But he still persists and believes that he's right".
"That's because it will be!", Zephyr exclaimed, "I guarantee it".
"If you say so", Alex shrugged, "But please don't tell me you went over the board".
Halting his remark, Zephyr suddenly paused and raised his arm, "I think someone's calling me". As soon as he finished his words, Zephyr bolted out of the room, sparing Alex an apologetic glance as he did so.
Alex sighed and rubbed her head in frustration, "I knew it".
"Don't worry about it", Desiree patted Alex on the shoulder, "He's always been a bit ... excessive".
"That's one way to phrase it", Alex muttered.
Before she could continue, Bella came running into the room and looked around, before her eyes finally set on Alex and she rushed towards them. Just as she arrived before Alex, she halted and tilted her head slightly to look up at Alex. "Is it true?", Bella asked, vibrating on the spot and incapable of reigning in her excitement.
"Zephyr said that he's planned the best Valentine ever but he won't let me stalk you two", Bella explained, childishly pouting at the end, "He said if I do and he catches me, he won't make food for me for a week! Can you believe him?!".
"I can because this is something important", Zephyr interrupted as he appeared right behind Bella and glared down at her, causing Bella to shrink on the spot, "I don't want you to ruin it with your poor attempts at hiding".
"I'm not bad at hiding!", Bella exclaimed, infuriated by his comment on her hiding abilities despite what she had said mere moments ago.
"You are", Zephyr plainly answered, the neutral tone in his voice laced with hidden threats sending shivers down her spine, "When we played hide and seek at the park, you hid behind a tree".
"That's a good place to hide!", Bella argued, still defiant.
"Your hair was sticking out. You started playing on your phone halfway through. You wore red clothes which made you stand out", Zephyr listed without remorse, each word causing Bella to crumble until she was on the floor.
"Okay!", Alex interrupted, seeing that at this rate, things were going to go nowhere, "Let's just go".
Zephyr took a deep breath and nodded his head. Holding his hand out, Alex gently grasped it and intertwined her fingers with his once more. Satisfied, Zephyr nodded his head and guided Alex out of the house. After hearing the door close, Desiree's entire demeanour changed and she looked down at Bella, "Get up. We have work to do".
Immediately, Bella bolted up, saluted her and ran out of the room. Nodding her head, Desiree yelled, "Matt! Hurry up! They're gone! We only have an hour!".
As soon as she finished, she heard the clumsy tumbling of someone coming down the stairs followed by a minor crash. After a few seconds, a disgruntled Matt entered the kitchen, "I'm here! I'm here!".
"Good", Desiree muttered, "Cam's going to drop Lily off in a minute so get started. When she comes, she'll help you set things up".
"Yes, sir", Matt similarly emulated Bella and saluted Desiree before blitzing out of the room.
[With Zephyr and Alex]
"So", Alex curiously asked, "Where are we going?".
"That's a surprise", Zephy answered, "But I can guarantee you'll love it".
"Really?", Alex raised an eyebrow, becoming increasingly curious after seeing his confidence and arrogance.
"Of course", Zephyr arrogantly nodded his head. Shaking her head and sighing, Alex continued following Zephyr. A few minutes passed in silence as Zephyr led Alex down a familiar path. As he did so, Alex observed the incomparable excitement on his face which brought forth a smile on her face. Finding herself lost while gazing at his face, Alex was startled when they suddenly halted. "Huh", she mumbled in slight confusion as she looked at where they had arrived.
"Surprised?", Zephyr asked seeing the evident confusion on her face.
"Yeah", Alex answered, unsure of what he was going to do considering how excited and confident he was.
"This isn't it. Let's go", Zephyr pulled Alex along, navigating through the large park before arriving at an arch. It was a beautiful work of architecture and Greek in design, something Alex noted down as Zephyr pulled her through.
"Woah", Alex muttered as she saw the beautiful sight before her.
Under the enchanting glow of the moonlight, a beautiful gazebo stood gracefully beside the serene lake. Its intricately designed frame was adorned with delicate vines and climbing roses that cascaded down its sides. The moon's silvery beams played upon the gazebo's elegant curves, creating a captivating dance of light and shadow.
As the soft breeze rustled through the surrounding trees, the gazebo's sheer white curtains swayed gently, casting ethereal shadows on the polished marble floor. The lake's surface, bathed in the moon's brilliance, mirrored the gazebo's enchanting form, creating a shimmering path of light that seemed to stretch towards the horizon.
Beneath the gazebo's ornate arches, a glossy wooden bench with plush cushions invited Alex to take a moment to immerse herself in the tranquil beauty of the night. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant chirping of crickets, adding to the sensory symphony of the moonlit scene.
"You did all this for me?", Alex asked, tears prickling at the edge of her eyes.
"That's not it", Zephyr added, the smile on his face contagious. Leading her towards the bench, there was a paper leaning on one of the cushions. "Go on", Zephyr encouraged, seeing her hesitation.
Tentatively taking the piece of paper in her hands, Alex's eyes flickered through the words. "Oh my God!", Alex exclaimed, her eyes wide, her jaw dropped as she looked at Zephyr.
"Yep", Zephyr nodded his head, "As of now, Comet Alex Dunphy has been added to the NASA database and will be passing over the sky in approximately ... 15 minutes", Zephyr said, pausing for a second to look at his watch.
Incapable of verbally expressing her words, Alex rushed forward to hug Zephyr, one which he eagerly returned. Gently passing his fingers through her hair, he whispered into her ear, "You happy?".
Once she separated, Alex wiped the tears that had been streaming down her face, "Happy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel".
[Time Skip]
"How'd you feel?", Zephyr asked as they both arrived at the front door of Alex's house.
"Really really good", Alex answered, a smile plastered on her face as she had her arm wrapped around Zephyrs with her head leaning on his.
"Well then", Zephyr remarked, "It's about to get even better".
"What do you mean?", Alex asked, even more confused, however, she was even more excited to know what he had up his sleeve.
"Come on", Zephyr instructed as he directed Alex to the garden in the back of the house where a small stage was set up. The stage wasn't that big or grand, but it was a testament to the cohesiveness of the people who built it in such a short time. The stage had lights wrapped around its frame, creating a beautiful sight to behold. Set on the stage was a chair with a guitar on it. There was also a microphone right in front of it, which gave a hint as to what was going to happen. Off the stage, but directly in front of it, a comfortable seat was prepared.
With an infectious smile on his face, Zephyr led the awestruck Alex to the seat and gently set her down there. Walking up to the stage, he sat down on the chair and took up the guitar. After taking a deep breath, he began.
♩ In the innocence of youth, we found our way ♩
♩ Two hearts so unafraid, like a bright new day ♩
♩ Underneath the summer skies, we started to believe ♩
♩ That love was something magic, that we both could achieve ♩
♩ Oh, we were just kids, so wild and free ♩
♩But in each other's eyes, we found our destiny ♩
♩ We stumbled into love, so uncertain and blind ♩
♩ But we knew deep inside, our hearts were intertwined ♩
♩ We fell in love young, like a wildfire's blaze ♩
♩ Burning bright and strong, in those tender days ♩
♩ With every stolen kiss, we wrote our own song ♩
♩ In the pages of our hearts, where we both belong ♩
♩ In the moonlit nights, we shared our dreams ♩
♩ Dancing in the shadows, by the quiet streams ♩
♩ Hand in hand, we faced the world so bold ♩
♩ Two young hearts on a journey, in a love story to be told ♩
♩ Oh, we were just kids, so wild and free ♩
♩ But in each other's arms, we found our sanctuary ♩
♩ We stumbled into love, so uncertain and blind ♩
♩ But we knew deep inside, our hearts were intertwined ♩
♩ We fell in love young, like a wildfire's blaze ♩
♩ Burning bright and strong, in those tender days ♩
♩ With every stolen kiss, we wrote our own song ♩
♩ In the pages of our hearts, where we both belong ♩
♩ Through the ups and downs, we held on tight ♩
♩ Our love grew stronger, in the darkest of nights ♩
♩ Now we're not just kids, but we're still the same ♩
♩ In this timeless love story, we'll forever remain ♩
♩ We fell in love young, like a wildfire's blaze ♩
♩ Burning bright and strong, in those tender days ♩
♩ With every stolen kiss, we wrote our own song ♩
♩ In the pages of our hearts, where we both belong ♩
♩ So here's to us, my love, as time marches on ♩
♩ In this eternal love story, where we both belong ♩
♩ Through every twist and turn, our hearts will stay true ♩
♩ For I'll always be in love, forever, with you ♩
As the song came to an end, Alex immediately stood up and began clapping.
"It's not fair", Haley complained as she saw them from the living room, "How come she gets to go out with Zephyr on Valentine's and yet I'm forced to stay here with Dylan not allowed to come?".
"Because you and Luke had a party yesterday while your Mom and I were out", Phil answered, "And because if I don't punish you, your Mom will kill me".
"Urgh", Haley groaned in anger as she crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks.